During email exchanges with readers, I was asked to apply my quill to how “cause tribes” attack the American value of individualism and ultimately “eviscerate, reduce and eventually eliminate inalienable constitutional rights.” It was suggested I read “Be Wary of Cause Junkies” by Alexandra York on the website Newsmax.com.

York argues that a collective mindset compels individuals to behave in ways they ordinarily wouldn’t, such as being violent and demanding undeserved special treatment for imagined victimhood. I get the behavior part. Nazi Germany and the Soviet Union are horrific examples. The special treatment/false victimhood part is not absolute.

Collective effort is often necessary to generate solutions to legitimate, serious problems that damage many lives. Full constitutional rights would not have been granted to African-Americans, women would not have been permitted to vote, and pollution would remain unchecked without group movements. The harm in what any group does depends on its tactics and what it achieves.

It isn’t fake news to say some tribes see gun control groups as reducing, eviscerating, and ultimately eliminating Second Amendment rights; environmentalists and consumer protectionists infringing the rights of free enterprise; economic equality advocates destroying the right to keep earned wealth without being forced to give it to others. The list goes on, but the key question is how far any right should be allowed to go before the actions it permits hurt others.

In our democracy, rights and demands for redress of grievances often collide. The challenge lies in respecting and preserving rights while resolving matters fairly. With so much misunderstanding and antagonism between tribes, that goal is even tougher to achieve.

Case in point: What to do about questionable killings of African-Americans by police requires constructive dialogue and cooperation between police and communities. The issue is clouded by national bickering about whether “Black Lives Matter” implies other lives don’t, if it’s merely anti-law enforcement, and — because pro athletes showed support by protesting during the national anthem — anti-military and anti-America. The violence at some of its demonstrations has obscured the central questions of police brutality and racism.

The longer any issue festers, the more strident protests become, but just causes are undermined when members of an otherwise peaceful group violate rights by smashing windows, setting fires and overturning cars. How does it help to destroy the property of innocent owners?

After the recent fatal shooting of Stephon Clark by Sacramento police, protestors have blocked traffic and prevented fans from entering NBA games at the Golden 1 Center, chanting, “Join us or go home!” Tickets are being refunded, but why should the hometown Kings, whose owner is sympathetic to the cause, be forced to pay a price? People can’t be coerced into sincere support.

I recognize the gravity of Clark’s death, and the need to seek justice and solve the wider issue. I question the value and fairness of antagonizing people who might otherwise be allies. But it's important to keep in mind that black community leaders met peacefully with Sacramento’s City Council and Mayor, who promised to look into the policies and procedures of the police department, the chief of which is African-American. Hopefully, the inquest will be thorough and fair to all. It’s also well worth remembering that police officers are humans doing a stressful, difficult and dangerous job. As in any group, the sins of the bad are visited upon the good.

“We're not mad at all the law enforcement,” Clark’s aunt, Shernita Crosby, has said. “We're not trying to start a riot. What we want the world to know is that we got to stop this because black lives matter.”

As I’ve said here many times, the most extreme voices and behavior are usually portrayed as an entire group’s face and agenda, making it easy for others to fear, distort and dismiss a valid issue that must be addressed via rational discussion and compromise. Our system of government was designed for that. Civility should be an important American value, too.

Columnist John Rolfe lives in Red Hook. Write to him at PersonallyPojo@gmail.com